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ITU Workshop ITU Workshop Submarine Cables for Submarine Cables for

Ocean/Climate Monitoring & Disaster Ocean/Climate Monitoring & Disaster WarningWarning

The Technology – An Operations The Technology – An Operations PerspectivePerspective

Mr. Michael CostinMr. Michael CostinExecutive Committee MemberExecutive Committee Member

International Cable Protection CommitteeInternational Cable Protection Committee

Rome - 9 September 2011Rome - 9 September 2011

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International Cable Protection International Cable Protection Committee?Committee?

• ICPC is an industry body comprising submarine ICPC is an industry body comprising submarine cable owners/operators, system manufacturers, cable owners/operators, system manufacturers, service providers and government stakeholders.service providers and government stakeholders.

• ICPC supports its members with environmental, ICPC supports its members with environmental, legal and technical information and advicelegal and technical information and advice

• ICPC current prime activities are in:ICPC current prime activities are in:– Developing best practice adviceDeveloping best practice advice– Promoting awareness of submarine cables as critical Promoting awareness of submarine cables as critical

infrastructureinfrastructure– Monitoring the evolution of international treaties and Monitoring the evolution of international treaties and

national legislation to protect submarine cable national legislation to protect submarine cable interestsinterests

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The Challenge of ChangeThe Challenge of Change

• Rapid development of offshore renewable energyRapid development of offshore renewable energy

• Increased incidence of damage caused by shippingIncreased incidence of damage caused by shipping

• Seabed becoming crowded in some areasSeabed becoming crowded in some areas

• Need to maintain harmony with other seabed usersNeed to maintain harmony with other seabed users

• Need to ensure harmony with seabed environmentNeed to ensure harmony with seabed environment

• Need to improve security of submarine cablesNeed to improve security of submarine cables

• Increased regulation of coastal and high seasIncreased regulation of coastal and high seas

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NetworkNetwork ManagementManagement

SystemSystem

CableStation

TerminalTerminalEquipmentEquipment

Armoured Armoured CableCable

RepeaterRepeater

Source: U.K. Cable Protection Committee & Alcatel-Lucent Submarine Source: U.K. Cable Protection Committee & Alcatel-Lucent Submarine NetworksNetworks

LightweightLightweightCableCable

Typical Submarine Cable Typical Submarine Cable SystemSystem

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Submarine Cable NetworkSubmarine Cable Network

• Global submarine cable network comprises Global submarine cable network comprises hundreds of commercial, independently owned, hundreds of commercial, independently owned, domestic and international systems domestic and international systems

• International systems can cost up to several International systems can cost up to several hundred million Euros to build.hundred million Euros to build.

• Project development/build takes 2-4 yearsProject development/build takes 2-4 years

• International consortium formation and funding International consortium formation and funding focussed upon commercial risks.focussed upon commercial risks.

• International project development concerned for International project development concerned for regulatory and permitting issuesregulatory and permitting issues

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• Cable operators focus upon routing cables for the:Cable operators focus upon routing cables for the:– Safest route to avoid areas of natural (undersea Safest route to avoid areas of natural (undersea

volcanoes) and man-made (designated anchorage and volcanoes) and man-made (designated anchorage and trawl zones) hazards and environmental sensitivitytrawl zones) hazards and environmental sensitivity

– Shortest possible route so as to minimise latencyShortest possible route so as to minimise latency

• Cable operators aim to apply the best cable type for each Cable operators aim to apply the best cable type for each part of the route, having regard for potential threats from part of the route, having regard for potential threats from fishing and anchors, whilst minimising costfishing and anchors, whilst minimising cost

• Bury the cable into the seabed to mitigate potential Bury the cable into the seabed to mitigate potential threats from fishing and anchoring. New cables target threats from fishing and anchoring. New cables target burial up to 3 metres subject to the assessed threat level.burial up to 3 metres subject to the assessed threat level.

Submarine Cable BuildSubmarine Cable Build

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80

60

40 20

%

1960 1970 1980 1990 2000

Cable faults caused by external aggressionCable faults caused by external aggressiondemonstrate the impact of human activitiesdemonstrate the impact of human activities

Base data provided by Tyco Telecommunications & Global Marine SystemsBase data provided by Tyco Telecommunications & Global Marine SystemsPublished in Wood & Carter (2008) IEEE Journal of Oceanic EngineeringPublished in Wood & Carter (2008) IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering

Fishing

Anchors

Threats From External AggressionThreats From External Aggression

• FishingFishing – high – high incidence but incidence but impact restricted to impact restricted to individual cablesindividual cables

• AnchorsAnchors – medium – medium but increasing but increasing incidence that can incidence that can impact several impact several cablescables

• Natural HazardsNatural Hazards (e.g. earthquakes) (e.g. earthquakes) – low incidence but – low incidence but can impact multiple can impact multiple cablescables

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Hengchun 2006: An Earthquake that Hengchun 2006: An Earthquake that Caused Major Disruption to the Cable Caused Major Disruption to the Cable

NetworkNetworkChin

ese

Taip

ei

China

OkinawaTrough

Ryuku TrenchEura

sian

Pla

te

Phi

lippi

nePla

te

80 mm/yr

(Source: Prof. Lionel Carter, (Source: Prof. Lionel Carter, ICPC Marine Environmental ICPC Marine Environmental Advisor)Advisor)

• Earthquake triggered Earthquake triggered submarine landslides near the submarine landslides near the junction of 2 tectonic plates.junction of 2 tectonic plates.• Landslides caused turbidity Landslides caused turbidity current that flowed over 330 current that flowed over 330 km & broke 9 cables in km & broke 9 cables in sequence.sequence.• From the timing of breaks, From the timing of breaks, the average speed of the the average speed of the turbidity current was turbidity current was ~20km/hr.~20km/hr.

• Damage occurred in water Damage occurred in water depths to 4000m - some depths to 4000m - some cables covered with mud cables covered with mud from current.from current.

• Cable repairs involved 11 Cable repairs involved 11 ships & took 49 days.ships & took 49 days.

Modified from Source: Anderson M., U. Arizona Geosciences

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Submarine Cable OperationSubmarine Cable Operation

• Submarine cable system threats can result Submarine cable system threats can result in a complete cable breakage or a “shunt” in a complete cable breakage or a “shunt” fault of the cable’s conductor used for fault of the cable’s conductor used for powering repeaters.powering repeaters.

• Restoration of traffic when a cable breaks or Restoration of traffic when a cable breaks or for repair of a shunt fault can take daysfor repair of a shunt fault can take days

• Multiple cable breaks can have an impact of Multiple cable breaks can have an impact of several weeks, even several monthsseveral weeks, even several months

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Submarine Cable Submarine Cable MaintenanceMaintenance• Cable repair works typically take 7-10 Cable repair works typically take 7-10

days to complete, but the actual duration days to complete, but the actual duration of a cable outage will be affected by:of a cable outage will be affected by:– Location of fault relative to the repair vesselLocation of fault relative to the repair vessel– Type of fault (i.e. Shunt or complete break)Type of fault (i.e. Shunt or complete break)– Securing any requisite permits/clearances, Securing any requisite permits/clearances,

which can take up to several weekswhich can take up to several weeks– Weather conditionsWeather conditions

• Cable outages can take months to clear.Cable outages can take months to clear.

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Multi-Purpose Submarine Multi-Purpose Submarine CablesCables• Some power-telecommunications cablesSome power-telecommunications cables

• Issue of primary/priority purpose of cableIssue of primary/priority purpose of cable

• Cable operators do not repair/replace Cable operators do not repair/replace repeaters with faulted components if the repeaters with faulted components if the overall system performance is maintained.overall system performance is maintained.

• If a fault arises with the plant/equipment If a fault arises with the plant/equipment for the secondary purpose, what priority for the secondary purpose, what priority will its repair have?will its repair have?

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Sharing the seabed in harmonyGeneral Enquiries to ICPC: +44 1590 681673General Enquiries to ICPC: +44 1590 681673 Email: Email: secretary@iscpc.org